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Chemicals in old furniture may make it tough to conceive

Used in the 1970s, the chemicals could mean it takes longer to fall pregnant

Flame retardant chemicals found in older furniture could make it more difficult for women to conceive, reports the Telegraph.

The chemicals are known as PBDEs and were used in the 1970s in items such as lounge suites, fabrics, carpets, plastics and electronics. The chemicals can leach out through dust collected on the furniture’s surfaces, and are then inhaled and stored in our fat cells.

Women with high levels of PBDE in their blood are half as likely to get pregnant, researchers have discovered. However one of the researchers, Professor Kim Harley, from University of Berkeley, explained, "We aren't looking at infertility, just sub-fertility, because all the women in our study eventually became pregnant.

Professor Harley also said, “Had we included infertile couples in our study, it is possible that we would have seen an even stronger effect from PBDE exposure.”

It’s thought that PBDEs affect sex hormones levels, and this then affects the chances of successfully conceiving.

Professor Harley explained that while several types of PBDEs have been phased out, exposure to them is likely to continue for years. It’s hard to keep up with the ever-increasing list of chemicals in our environment, the researchers also said.

Of the compounds now replacing PBDEs, Professor Harley said, "We know even less about the newer flame retardant chemicals that are coming out. We just don't have the human studies yet to show that they are safe.”